Junction boxes are found in residential, commercial, and industrial structures. Junction boxes provide an enclosed container for connections of wires and cables, and junction boxes often support an exposed device such as a light switch or duplex outlet. The wires and cables may be unprotected non-metallic sheathed cables (NM and NMC, also known as Romex-type cables) as often found in residential structures, or conduit-protected cables as often found in commercial and industrial structures.
Cable holders secure wires, cable, and/or conduit to an underlying structure, adjacent a junction box, or between other supports. A primitive cable holder found in many structures in the United States is a staple or bracket, encompassing a cable or wire, hammered into a stud. The staple or bracket is commonly made of steel and may be insulated. Problems include the time and effort involved, possible damage to the cable or wire, limited space to swing a hammer, and possible injury to fingers or hand.
When a large number of cables or wires need to be secured in the same area on a structure, a popular method is to nail a cable holder with multiple slots stacked in a row (commonly known as a “stacker”) to the structure.
Examples of various cable holders are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,222,128; 6,313,406; 6,513,766; 6,655,644; 7,347,401; 7,608,782; 8,505,858; U.S. D407,963; and U.S. D663,274.
The disclosures of these and all other publications referenced herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.